Analyzing Erikson's Eight Stages Of Development

Erikson outlined eight stages of development that identified the important periods of development that occurred throughout a lifespan. Each stage identifies the significance of personality growth that occurs and underlines the specific developmental crisis that needs to be resolved in each stage. The first stage is trust vs. mistrust, which occurs during the first year of existence. The sense of trust of an infant is formed by the quality of the caregiver. The caregiver plays a major role in this stage since a sense of trust is developed accordingly to their quality of caregiving. Therefore, it highlights the trust the infant will develop regarding future relationships. If the child is appropriately cared and given the attention necessary, the child will develop a sense of trust for others. However, if the child is neglected then the child may develop a lifelong pattern of trusting issues towards others. The second stage is autonomy vs. shame and doubt. This stage occurs during the first three years of life and primarily regulates the development of self-confidence and independence. During this stage, a child develops a sense
In this stage, the urge to develop relationships is the primary goal. In regards to my personal life, I have been in a serious relationship for three years. I have grown so much as a person, which is all thanks to my boyfriend because of earlier disappointments I went through, it was difficult for me to develop close bonds with others. I grew up believing that being isolated from others protected me from getting hurt therefore, I didn’t really try to connect with others and kept to myself. Although I felt alone and isolated, I was terrified to let others in and build close bonds with them. As I mention thankfully to my boyfriend, I have learned to connect well with others and build strong